Frank Vincent, Star of ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Goodfellas,’ Dies at 78

One of the most memorable mobsters of the genre is tragically no longer with us. Frank Vincent, actor behind everything from The Sopranos to Raging Bull, has died from surgery complications at the age of 78.

According to TMZ, the actor passed away from complications during open-heart surgery in New Jersey, after suffering a heart attack last week. In addition to his famous role as Tony Soprano’s nemesis Phil Leotardo, Vincent made a killing in mob movies like Goodfellas, Casino, and other famous films like Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing.

Vincent was born in Massachusetts and originally set out for a career in music, but was discovered (along with Joe Pesci) by Robert De Niro in the process of filming Raging Bull. His mob casting even extended so far as lending his voice to multiple Grand Theft Auto games, with more recent work landing him on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.